26 May 2014 - open hearts

26 May 2014 - open hearts

One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth,
from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened,
and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention
to what Paul was saying.

When we think about sharing the good news with others we often approach it as if we have to open the hearts of our audience.  But Paul knows better than this.  He remembers the words of Jesus.  Jesus does say that we will give testimony to him.   But even before that he tells us that the Holy Spirit will testify to him.  Saint John Paul the great reminds us that the Holy Spirit (and not you or I) is the principle agent of evangelization (cf. Tertio Millenion Adveniente 45).  We often get the order flipped.  We think that we testify and then, if we do it well enough, the Spirit will put his stamp of approval on our work by opening hearts.  The order that Jesus gives is intentional:

“When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,

We need to know this because the world we face is often hostile.

“I have told you this so that you may not fall away.
They will expel you from the synagogues;
in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you
will think he is offering worship to God.
They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.

If we think that changing hearts like these is up to us we will quickly give up.  But he who sets his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God (cf. Luk. 9:62).  Woe to us if we don't preach the gospel (cf. 1 Cor. 9:16).  If we don't share what we receive, if we cork the springs of living water that flow from our hearts, we will find those springs drying up.  It is just a fact that if we really recognize what we have, if we value it as the pearl of great price that it is, we cannot help but treat it that way in our interaction with others.  To not do so is to resist this impulse, to suppress it, is to hide our lamp under a basket.  If the lamp is left there long enough it will go out. If we habitually act as if the Gospel of Jesus is unimportant to us it will become true for us.  Love demands to be shared. 

Fortunately, though, sharing the Gospel isn't up to us alone.  We can go into the hostile world knowing that the Holy Spirit will give us words to say.  We know that before we speak he is already at work in every heart.  It isn't as though he always opens every heart, as we know.  But he opens the hearts that he wants to open, hearts willing to be opened.  Our part is simply to invite, trusting that he is at work.

The LORD wants to change hostile hearts.  He wants them to join the new song of praise to him, to be glad in him, and to rejoice in him.  Let us trust this.  Let us believe that the Spirit is already at work in every heart.  Let us cooperate and share the love we ourselves receive. 

Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.